Accidentally In Love
by EternalxInsanity
Summary: Three-shot Part Three: Looking back, Xander and April realise they're simply meant to be. Xapril.
1. Accidentally In Love

**Accidentally In Love**

Summary: Three-shot part one: Xander makes the startling discovery that he could quite possibly be in love. Xapril.

 **A.N:** Hiya boys and girls. The ficlet of the day is this: Accidentally in Love. Tomorrow will be a mystery and the same with the day after! Stay tuned!

 **A.N.2:** Xander 'The Cobra' Helmsley/Levesque co-belongs rightfully to XoX-ShAdAy-XoX and me, EternalxInsanity, while Anna and April belong solely to me. Scott 'Raven' Levy belongs to himself, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque belongs to the WWE and himself.

 **A.N.3:** Also, due to a major fuck-up on my behalf, all three parts of this fic had to be taken down and re-written. It is no longer be a song fic- as I don't want to draw attention away from the other fantastic stuff on FFN (it's been pointed out to me)- and to understand a lot of the content you may either want to have the lyrics for each song open in a separate tab or actually listen to the song on repeat as you read.

 _ **January 2007- Venice Beach, California**_

Walking along the beach in Los Angeles, California, Xander Levesque, commonly known as Xander Helmsley, kicked a rock with his shoe, watching it skid across the sand. Beside him was his best friend, Scott 'Raven' Levy. The two had been best friends since 1998 and nothing had changed; they could tell each other everything. Scott was that friend, one of few people Xander could actually call a friend, that he could insult and Scott would know it was a joke, the friend he could blurt sexual innuendo to and Scott would grin and fling one back. Scott had also been the first person Xander had called every time he'd screwed up.

Xander was awfully silent as they walked along the beach, which made Scott uneasy; usually the black-haired rocker was talking until his lips turned blue. But today he seemed almost nervous about something.

"Dude, what's the problem?"

Xander turned his head and looked at him, a sparkle in his eyes Scott had never seen. The emerald green orbs were bright and shining in the light.

"What's the problem?" Xander's eyes shifted to the horizon and the waves as they crashed out in the open sea. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon, one of those afternoons that made him want to walk Jinx and Boozzaa, his Husky and Labrador puppies, across the sand with his mini-clone Jodi riding on his shoulders. But Jinx and Boozzaa were at home, probably running around the backyard with Jodi and Lara, Jodi's best friend. He picked up a sea-shell and threw it at the waves, watching it skip across the murky blue waves. "Well, I've been… well… I've got this weird feeling. It's been growing for months now."

"What kind of feeling?" Scott asked, looking at him. His black hair was pulled back into a half pony tail, the frosted white tips streaking through his hair like lines on the road. Around Xander's eyes were thick lines of guyliner and his lip and eyebrow piercings shone in the afternoon sun. The cuts and bruises on his face that he'd gotten in prison were gone and he looked somewhat human again. He'd been home for a month and the whole time he'd been trying his best to be a proper father and a boyfriend, and a Rockstar of course. Scott had never seen him like this before; he had a huge smile on his face, his hands weren't stuffed deep in his pockets and his eyes sparkled and were bright, like Xander had been introduced to a whole new world, like he'd been born again.

"That warm fuzzy feeling you get whenever Anna walks into the room." The older man smirked at his best friend and tossed another stone at the waves. Scott's eyebrows furrowed for a minute before his mouth dropped open in shock. The warm fuzzy feeling was what Scott liked to call love. Could it mean…?

"You wanna repeat that." Scott stopped walking and Xander turned back to him, smirking.

"I get this warm fuzzy feeling inside my chest."

"About who?"

Xander smirked and shook his head. "You obviously haven't been paying attention to my love life, have you?" Scott shook his head. "Who am I currently dating?"

Scott blinked, his mind blank. Who was Xander dating…? Then it hit him like a freight train at full speed; Xander was in a semi-long term relationship with April, Anna's twin sister. They had been going out for exactly five days before Xander had committed the crime that had put him in prison for ten months. He went in in late-January 2006, three weeks after he'd committed the crime, and came out in December. April had visited him every day, written to him and sent him pictures of Jodi as she'd spent the year with Lara, her best friend, and Laney, Scott and Anna's daughter. April had stayed by his side the entire time, reassuring him that everything would be okay.

"April."

Xander smirked and nodded, sitting down in the sand. Scott sat beside him as Xander slipped his jacket from his shoulders, sitting it beside him.

"Exactly."

"I don't know what it is," Xander said, his eyes twinkling in the afternoon sun. Scott eyed him curiously. "This feeling… it's like nothing I've ever felt before. Every time she walks in the room, I get this flutter in my chest like a swarm of butterflies has decided to fly into my ribcage." He looked at his best friend.

"Really? Butterflies? Cute analogy," Scott said, poking him in the shoulder. Xander smirked and shook sand from his hair.

"Okay more like bats. I can't stop thinking about her. She's like a virus that's been imbedded into my system and no matter what I do; I can't get rid of her."

Scott nodded his head. He felt the same about Anna, so he knew where he was coming from. Both of the Calaway sisters had that charm that made them completely irresistible to men.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were telling me that you love April." Scott looked at his friend. Xander looked at him, his face locked in a serious glare.

"I am."

Scott's stomach dropped. That was bad news. Anyone who fell in love with April felt it in the morning, so to speak. Out of the six people she'd been out with before Xander, only three had loved her. Chris Kanyon had been betrayed by her scheme to make her father pay and had left her, Adam 'Edge' Copeland had loved her, but once he found out she was pregnant he did everything he could to stop it. After that he'd slapped 'love' onto his feelings for her because he was a compulsive liar. Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison, had chosen her out of nineteen other girls to marry on Rock of Love, his TV show to find a wife. They'd been set to marry in October of 2005 but April had called it off for some reason, still unknown to anyone but her. Now Xander was claiming to be in love with her. Oh boy.

"I don't know about this man," Scott said, drawing a random drawing in the sand with his finger. "April's track record against yours isn't exactly the best." He looked at Xander who looked at his boots, smacking the sides together in the sand.

It was true; Xander had the worst track record with women he had ever seen. He'd lasted little over a year with Rayne, Chyna had ditched him for Sean Waltman, Stacy, the keyboardist and back-up vocalist for the Rejects had been his other half for maybe two weeks, when Stacy had confessed her feelings for Mitch, the lead guitarist for the Rejects, and Allie had been shattered when she'd even learned of Stacy's existence. April's was a gimme; her men left her or she left them for unknown reasons.

The black haired man fell backwards with a groan.

"I know that. I'm trying to change, man, you know that."

Scott nodded. He didn't need to say anything.

"Look," Xander said, leaning on his haunches. "I'll forget about all of this, if you just tell me what the fuck it all means."

Scott swiped a finger through his short blond hair. "Okay. How do you feel about her when she's _not_ around?"

"Like my world has fallen apart and I'm back in my jail cell, alone and cold," Xander said, blowing a lock of his raven hair from his eyes. He was definitely sincere. Scott's stomach dropped further into the pit of his conscious form.

"And when you're with her?"

"Butterflies and rainbows."

Scott let out a snort of laughter at the analogy but looked his friend in the eye. The crystal green orbs continued to sparkle in the sunshine. Scott had been completely on board with the whole Xander-April thing at first, but now he wasn't so sure. April was like a sister to him, and she _was_ technically considering he was re-engaged to Anna after stupidly divorcing her, so if anyone hurt her, they got dropped. And Xander was his big brother, the guy he depended on and fought for when things got rough for him. Putting those two together had seemed like paradise but Xander's accident and then conviction had proven otherwise; they just couldn't work. But then again, Scott didn't know the whole story behind that, so he shouldn't be biased. But he was, and now his best friend was gonna pay the price for his stupidity.

"Look," Xander said, curling his muscular arms around his legs, "everybody on the planet has a soul-mate, right? Even me?"

Scott gave him a 'if you say so' look and shrugged his arms, gently scratching a scuff on his jacket. He'd never really believed in soulmates. That was an abstract concept even he couldn't get behind, no matter how devoted to Anna he was. He looked up and winced slightly. The sun was now high in the sky and was beating down on the friends as they sat on the beach. It was a beautiful day on the coast of California.

"I've been searching, pretty much since _she_ left me," Xander said, obviously referring to Rayne Foley, his ex and Jodi's mother, "for that special someone, someone I can spend my life with. When I'm with April it's like the cosmos have exploded and brought me this beautiful supernova of a woman."

Scott blinked at his best friend for a second before bobbing his head up and down; he felt the exact same about Anna. She'd been his light and salvation, his savior, at the time when he'd needed it the most. Maybe April was for Xander too. He did seem different whenever she was around; like someone had hit him over the head with a bat and had replaced him with someone else. And his drug addiction was all but a distant memory now, making him a much easier person to live with. He was less angry and stubborn, now mellower and understanding, not traits Xander was known for.

"I don't know man," Scott said, looking at his best-friend. Xander looked at him, tilting his head to the side. "You and love don't exactly work."

Xander scrunched his nose, remembering all of his failed relationships.

"That's true I guess."

"What's true?"

Both of the young men turned to spy Paul Levesque, commonly known around the world as Triple H and Xander's older brother, limping along the beach, his Bulldog, Lucy, ahead of him on her leash, and a single crutch under his arm. Xander rolled his eyes; of course Paul would be in Los Angeles today; the WWE's January Pay-per view, the Royal Rumble, was being held at the Staples Centre that weekend and Paul and Stephanie were hosting, even though Paul was incapacitated at the present moment.

"Xander's inability to love anything," Scott said as Paul sat beside them, gently scratching his puppy's head.

The older Levesque laughed and nudged his brother in the shoulder. Xander scowled; in his mind the afternoon had just been ruined.

Paul smirked at the scowl. "Is baby-brother claiming he loves?"

Xander nodded once, not needing to explain himself.

"He's got butterflies in his stomach," Scott said teasingly, being shoved over by Xander. Paul snickered.

Images of April flashed before Xander's eyes and he fell backwards onto the sand, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Usually, well in movies at least, images of someone's beloved that flashed before their eyes were surrounded with love hearts, but April was surrounded by flashes of lightning, which meant she was very special. Xander looked at Scott, his eyes bright with passion. Scott raised an eyebrow as two words escaped Xander's lips; "I surrender."

Scott looked at Paul who shrugged, releasing his puppy from her leash.

Paul looked at his little brother. "Did you force yourself to love her, like you did with Rayne?"

Xander growled at the mention of his ex but shook his head. "I didn't mean to do it. I didn't even think it was possible for me."

Which was true; Xander and love didn't exactly exist on the same plane together.

Paul smirked and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, texting Stephanie, before looking at his brother. "Xander plus April equals Match Made in Heaven." He smiled at the surprised look on Xander's face. "I approve."

Xander smiled and Scott mocked gagging, which promptly got him punched in the arm, so hard in fact that the appendage went numb. He moaned as Xander flipped to his feet like his idol, Shawn Michaels. Paul and Scott watched him for a second before he pulled three back flips then a corkscrew back flip, landing in the sand perfectly, like he was a trained gymnast. He smiled then winked and dashed off down the beach.

"What was that about?" Scott said, looking at Paul while Lucy rested her fat head on his lap. Paul shrugged.

"Love makes you do the whacky."

Walking along the road that lead to Uptown LA, the smile on Xander's face grew and grew. He was so happy; never had he felt this good. Jodi's birth would be a tie breaker for how good he felt right now. And he had April Hailie Jade Calaway to thank for that. Her smile, her brains, her unmatched beauty… she truly was a Goddess, plain and simple. An Angel amongst men, as her nickname implied. She was his angel, sent from heaven to help him through the pain and misery that was life.

Turning on the road that his house was on, Xander stopped mid-step, his heart beating a thousand times faster in his chest, so much so that it hurt.

In the front yard of his house, playing with both her daughter and his, was April herself. Her waist-length black hair was slung over her shoulder in a thick braid and Lara was pulling on it, while Jodi pulled on her arm, dragging her towards the swing set. In the sunshine, her deep tanned skin glowed and the tattoos down her arms deepened the tone. His heart seemed to melt as his beloved April picked up his little Jodi and flipped her upside down, tickling her ribs with her free hand. Xander's heart swelled with happiness, even as he saw Jodi's face turning red from the blood rushing to it. She was perfect; a perfect mother, a perfect daughter, a perfect sister, and most importantly a perfect girlfriend. He smiled when he saw her sister, Anna, sitting on the porch swing with Elaina 'Laney' sitting on her lap, gently swinging back and forth. Anna smiled as he stepped up to the gate but she didn't say anything as Xander's finger went to his lips, silencing her for the moment. He silently slipped through the gate and tip-toed to April, curling his arms around her waist.

April jumped for a second but she turned her head and looked into the admiring eyes of her boyfriend, those beautiful eyes, and almost drowned. His eyes were intoxicating and one of a kind. That deep sea green mixed with pastel green made his eyes two glowing orbs of perfection, swirling on his perfect face.

"Hello, my sweet," Xander cooed, kissing her shoulder. She giggled and turned in his arms, wrapping her tattooed arms around his neck. He smiled back at her and before she could say a word, he captured her mouth in a kiss.

Every emotion Xander had felt for April; happiness, compassion, gratitude and undeniable love, came flooding through his brain like a tidal wave as he poured everything he had into his kiss, holding his Angel close. The squeaking of the swing that Jodi was sitting on stopped and Xander inwardly laughed; her jaw was probably dropped in shock, as it always was when he did something out of character.

April moaned as Xander's fingers danced across her bareback as his hand slipped up her shirt, gently tracing over her skin. She pulled away and bit her lip, running her fingers through his hair.

"Somebody missed me," she mused softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Xander smiled and nudged his nose against hers, his lips speaking the one thing he'd been longing to say to somebody and actually mean it;

" _Te amo, mí ángel hermoso_."

Granted he'd said it in Spanish, but she spoke the language of Passion, so she'd know what it meant. He loved her, and he thought she was a beautiful Angel.

April's jaw dropped open slightly and she let out a silent gasp, taking in what he'd said. He loved her! And he'd actually said it while looking her directly in the eye, which meant that he meant every word he'd just said.

"You do?"

Xander's head bobbed once and a lock of his hair fell in his face, making him look irresistibly cute.

"I've only ever said that to one other person before but I didn't actually mean it."

April smiled and brushed her hand over his hair. He smiled and kissed the palm of her hand as it grazed his cheek.

"Now I do."

Later that night, as Xander lay on the sofa with his girlfriend curled up on his legs asleep, memories flashed through his brain; their first kiss on Christmas Eve of 2005, their first weekend away just before he'd been tried and convicted of manslaughter, and their first proper vacation in the Bahamas just after he'd gotten back. He'd had some incredible experiences with the woman asleep in his arms, and there were many more where they came from. He was truly, madly, deeply in love.


	2. Miss Independent

**Miss Independent**

Summary: Three-shot part two: While Xander contemplates celebrating his birthday, April contemplates their relationship. Xapril

 **A.N:** Hiya boys and girls! This is fic Numero Dos in the Xapril Trilogy and its Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson from the album 'Thankful'. Tomorrow will be the end of this evil saga, and as always, I'm leaving it as a mystery. Enjoy!

 **A.N.2:** April 'Trinity Delirium' Calaway and Anna 'Dahlia Delirium' Calaway-Levy belong to moi! Scott 'Raven' Levy belongs to himself, Xander Levesque/Helmsley co-belongs to XoX-ShAdAy-XoX and myself, EnternalxInsanity, and Adam 'Edge' Copeland belongs to himself... anyway. Credit where it's due people!

 **A.N.3:** To see Xander's side of what happened during the day of this fic (the end of it anyway), please read Memories chapter 23. ENJOY! For those of you who came here from Memories, you jumped the gun but that's okay, I posted Memories first ;P

 _ **November 2007**_

Back flipping from the top turn-buckle onto the mat, April Calaway, Trinity Delirium to the fans, second eldest daughter to Mark 'The Undertaker' Calaway and reigning Knockout's champion of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (known commonly as TNA), wrenched back as her tag-team partner, Shannon 'Daffney' Spruill, swung her arm for a perfect lariat. They'd been training all after-noon, and were sweaty and tired, but the match they were training for needed to be perfect, since both girls were both high-risk wrestlers. If they screwed something up, their opponents could be seriously hurt. Normally April would be training with her sister, Anna, but Anna was eight-and-a-half months into her second pregnancy and couldn't wrestle. Shannon was a perfect substitute.

April hit the mat hard with a bone-jarring thud, but she slipped from the ring unhurt. Her mind just wasn't in it today. Her beloved boyfriend, Xander Levesque, hadn't spoken to her in three days and her emotions had hit their peak; she feared he'd leave her for someone else, someone far younger and more beautiful then she, but her esteem had always been pretty bad. Ever since Chris 'Jericho' Irvine had played with her heart, Adam 'Edge' Copeland had used and abused her… no, her heart just wasn't in it anymore.

Her problem, she thought, was that she was too possessive of her boyfriends, and they either got scared and ran, like Chris had, or lied to her, like Adam had. Truth be told, she wasn't really up for anymore heartache, but heartache was a prerequisite of love.

When she'd met Xander, she'd just cleared her divorce with Adam and had taken their child, Lara, away from him to a small town in Florida called Maple Falls. She hadn't wanted a relationship with anyone. She alone would raise her child, she alone would fend for herself in the great, big world. She didn't need anyone.

She was, affectionately known by her siblings, as Miss Independent.

Shannon slipped from the ring, waved goodbye then left the gym, just as a severely pregnant Anna stepped into the room and came up beside her sister as April took a swig of her water. The refreshing liquid ran down her throat and revitalized her tired muscles. She was twenty-seven now, the best years of her life, but the wear and tear of the most brutal of sports was starting to get to her.

"Angel," Anna said, sitting on the table. April looked at her once, and then took another drink, indicating that she was listening. Anna smiled. "Is it just me or is your groove out of whack?"

"My groove?" April asked, putting her drink bottle back on the table.

"Are you feeling burnt out?"

April thought about this for a second. The Calaway family had always been one of the most respected families in the world of professional wrestling, but April had lost some respect from her fans for who she was dating. On screen, TNA-wise at least, Trinity and Xander had been playing with getting together for months. But Trinity was a loose cannon, and those closest to her believed she'd hurt Xander, both physically and emotionally, the first chance she got. This stopped Xander from actually making the move to fall for her. In reality, Xander and April had been dating for almost two years. April had made the terrible mistake of falling head over heels in love with him, and given her heart to him completely. By this point, however, April was not surprised at Xander's sudden self-imposed exile. He was hiding, from what she didn't know, but she'd find out if it killed her. This plus her training regime had burned her out mentally, and she was most likely going to hurt someone.

Maybe stopping for a while, taking a long-needed vacation or something along those lines, was exactly what she needed. She'd be Miss Out-Of-My-Way once again, she just needed a break.

All April could do was shrug. Anna scowled and stared at her.

"He's not cheating on you," the younger Calaway said, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ears. April smirked then turned away, picking up her duffle, and slipping on her University of Texas basketball jersey. She didn't have a lot of time to talk about Xander or their somewhat-chaotic relationship at this point. Her children were waiting for her back at the hotel.

When she arrived at her hotel, she spotted Xander leaning against a pillar, watching her closely. His dark eyes stared at her intently, almost trying to read her. His dark hair was pulled back into a loose pony-tail and he grinned at her. She was about to go over to him when his sister-in-law, Stephanie McMahon, came over to him, something in her hands. Xander's eyes went to Stephanie and April scowled. When he mouthed something to Steph and looked back at his girlfriend, she gave him a despondent look before heading upstairs. He wasn't going to bend her to his will by using his puppy eyes. She was a Queen, and he would not force her from her throne.

When she got upstairs, Hailie-Jade, her eleven-year-old daughter looked up from her seat on the sofa and smiled. Hailie had only been with April for a few weeks, after being taken from her when she was a month old, then returned to her eleven years later, but April still loved her, more then she had the day Hailie was born. April smiled at her and walked over, kissing her daughter on the head then dropping her duffle bag on the floor and heading for the kitchenette. Lara, her six-year-old daughter was sitting on a stool reading a book. Her beautiful brunette hair shone in the light filtering in from outside and she looked every bit the angel she was. April loved both her girls deeply.

"Afternoon, baby," April said, pulling open the fridge and pulling out a soda, cracking it open. Lara looked up and smiled. She was about to open her mouth to speak when April's phone beeped. The Fallen Angel pulled it free from the loop of her jeans and she read the message that flashed across the screen. _Xander._

 _From: Xander Levesque  
To: April Calaway_

 _Thanks for the greasy today, Angel. Just thought I'd stop by to say I love you. See you later.  
Xander: Without You I'm A Disaster And You're My Ever After_

She wanted to reply but another text broke her train of thought.

 _From: Ashley Massaro (Pretty Princess)  
To: April Calaway_

 _We still on for tonight, Angel? I have some ideas to run by you for Saturday. Also, Alexa wants to know if Lara and Hailie want to come around for a play-date. Call me!  
Ashley: Now I'm Caught Between the Devil and The Angel That I Used To Be. _

April smiled; Ashley always had that magic way of making her smile. Out of the four women known as the Bratz, Ashley was the one April loved the most besides her sister. Maria Kanellis was a perfect angel, but she didn't get April like Ashley did. They'd been friends since they were fifteen, and that's the way it would stay, no matter what came between them. They were just that close.

April made the decision to meet Ashley in the ballroom of the extravagant hotel in Las Vegas, the hotel known simply as Caesar's Palace. It was there that April and her family would throw Xander a surprise party for his thirtieth birthday. No matter what rift had appeared between herself and Xander, April would still love him, even if he left her.

The mirror on the wall near the balcony window caught her attention as she stared at her reflection. Her dark black hair, green eyes and fair complexion made her stand out from the crowd. All her siblings, except Gunner, had been born with black hair, which they'd gotten from their mother. Abbi had dyed her undergrowth blonde, to mask the fact that she and April were identical, and Anna had dyed it red, simply because she liked the color. Each girl could be told apart by their hair color, while Gunner had been born with deep burgundy hair, which he'd gotten from his father.

April smiled, staring at herself. _Miss Almost-Grown is here to stay._

It was a little after four when April reached the ballroom, and Ashley was happy to see her, as always. Hailie and Lara entered the room not long after her, promptly being pounced on by Ashley's seven-year-old daughter, Alexa. They ran off to the other side of the ballroom to play while April planned with Ashley.

"I have some ideas," Ashley said after a hug. April put on the happy-mask she'd gotten so used to wearing.

"Hit me."

Ashley smiled and slapped her across the arm. April winced but laughed, following Ashley towards the stage set up on the far side of the room.

The whole time she planned Xander's birthday, April's mind wandered to her boyfriend. He was wandering around the hotel somewhere, probably in the bar with his brother. They'd drifted apart, and that was not solely Xander's fault, as most would think it was. April had been so busy planning his birthday that she didn't have time to spend with him, and his daughter Jodi, and it was putting a strain on their relationship. April loved Xander with all her heart, but her heart was still on a thick chain. She kept her heart protected so she would never have to feel love's keen sting ever again. Xander had promised not to hurt her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't. Men seemed to hurt April in more ways then one. The thought of Xander sleeping around on her or leaving her for someone else was enough to make April lose faith in humanity all over again. After everything they'd been through together, everyone figured they would have split, but they hadn't. They'd both clung to what remained of normalcy, even if it did cause conflict. With Xander being a full-time father, full-time rockstar and full-time wrestler, that didn't leave a whole lot of time to be a part-time boyfriend, let alone full-time. Their travel schedules clashed, so they had very little time to spend together.

When they'd gotten together on that beautiful Christmas Eve in Montreal, it had felt like paradise. Two high-strung lunatics becoming one usually didn't work, but somehow they'd made it through everything; Xander's arrest and conviction of manslaughter charges, April's break-down after Hailie had come back into her life… everything. Then the insults started.

April was accused of cheating, Xander was accused of beating her, and both of them as a couple had been attacked from all sides. Somehow they'd survived it, and April had fallen in love. Little Miss Apprehensive had fallen head over heels for the Cobra, Xander Levesque.

As the day came to a close, April and Ashley finished preparing Xander's party in the ballroom, and the Fallen Angel retired to her hotel room. Hailie was curled up on the sofa, her head resting on Xander's lap. April couldn't help but smile as that warm, fluttery feeling welled up inside her chest again. She couldn't help but love him; he had that magical hold on her, the one that made her melt into his arms, the one that made her drown in his kisses, the one that made her weep with ecstasy when they made love. It was all truly perfect.

As she watched him gently pat Hailie's hair, showing affection for a child that wasn't his own, her heart fluttered that tiny bit. Xander must have felt someone watching him because he turned his head and looked at her, smiling. April smiled back, and then bit her lip. Xander's eyebrow rose as he whispered something to Hailie. She raised her head and pushed herself up so he could get up. He gave her a quick kiss before she resumed watching TV. Xander bounded over to April and took her hand before she could leave the room. She turned away, her tired and stressed body needing to sleep. It had been a hectically long day and she just wanted to relax and crawl into the soft plush of her purple comforter. Xander's fingers were warm against her skin though as he pulled her towards him. His hand cupped her jaw as he gently tilted her head to look at him. She looked into those sea-green eyes and fell in love all over again.

The feelings that welled up inside her every time she looked at him made her believe in love again. Chris, Adam, hell even John, Matt and Bret had almost ruined her chance at happiness. Then she'd found Xander. He'd been the light in her very darkest hour; he'd helped her back from the brink of self-destruction. And she, in a way, had helped him. He'd been just as self-destructive as she was, maybe even worse. Drugs, alcohol and self-loathing had pushed Xander to the point of no return. She'd wrenched him back, and kept him there. So what she felt for him was completely real.

April smiled as those long dormant feelings ran rampant in her head. Hailie, and the miniscule Jodi who had joined her on the sofa, poked their heads over the back of the plush seating and giggled as Xander kissed her, his lips moving against hers in a passion-filled tango. She pulled him closer and kissed him back, her passion tangling with his. The few bricks left in her wall of solitude she'd put up many years ago to protect her fragile heart fell away. Curling her arms around Xander's neck, she cast a quick look at her child and Xander's as they giggled on the sofa. Upon catching the Fallen Angel's gaze, they both mock swooned and fainted onto the sofa, giggling up a storm. April rolled her eyes and pulled away from her boyfriend, dragging him into the bedroom.

 _Goodbye, Miss Independent,_ April thought as she and Xander made love for the first time in weeks. Their bodies were a tangled web of arms and legs, and April's body tingled as Xander placed kiss after kiss down her neck and across her shoulders. It was then that she realized she wanted to spend the rest of eternity with the man in her arms, currently making her feel like she had died and gone to an ecstasy-filled heaven. She craved his kisses, his scent, his very presence, like an addict craved the bottle. They were meant to be, in her eyes at least. She simply couldn't exist without him. 

Thursday rolled around and April and Shannon were standing in their locker room, stretching their muscles. It was the night of their big match-up and they were pumped and ready to go. Down the hall were their opponents for the evening, Christy Hemme and Gail Kim, two up-and-coming Knockouts ready to make a name for themselves. Xander would be watching them from the back, while Anna's fiancé, Scott Levy, would be watching from the sidelines, cheering his girls on.

Just as April was about to stretch her hamstrings, her cell-phone buzzed. She rolled her eyes at the ring tone. _Begging, again._ She grinned, and Shannon caught it and giggled, going back to her stretches. _Let's make him work for it._ She picked up her phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said casually, holding her phone between her ear and shoulder as she pulled her thick hair into a pony-tail. Anna would braid it for her later.

" _Hello beautiful."_

April inwardly laughed but smirked on the outside at the sound of her ex-husband's voice. Adam Copeland had been calling her for months, begging to see Lara, his daughter. She wouldn't allow it. He wasn't the right parent to raise her. He'd cheated on her, over and over again, with someone she'd once considered a friend. And he hadn't even had the decency to tell her to her face; she'd found out from Matt Hardy, Amy Dumas' now-ex boyfriend. He'd been shattered too when he'd found out about Amy and Adam. Once April had found out on the cold, windy February day, she'd gone straight home and confronted him about it. Adam had denied it, until Amy had called his phone not five minutes after, demanding to see him. April had flipped and thrown him out, with a bag of his stuff and an unhappy goodbye. She hadn't heard much from him lately though. Or maybe she'd been too busy worrying about her relationship with Xander and his upcoming birthday to care.

"Why hello, handsome," she said sarcastically. Shannon looked at her with a quizzical look on her face. April mouthed 'Adam' before returning to her stretching. "What can I do for you this fine, November evening."

" _You can let me have my daughter back, or at the very least see her. You owe me that much."_

April laughed, a hearty laugh that ricocheted up from her soul. He'd been direct at least.

"I don't owe you anything, Adam. I don't owe you a damn thing. I let you talk to her on the phone; I don't even legally have to do that much."

Adam was about to protest when Scott came into the room, indicating they were on soon. The girls nodded in unison, and April finished up her conversation.

"She doesn't even love you anymore, Adam. She's found a new Daddy, one she cares about."

" _WHAT?!"_

April laughed, an idea popping into her head. She grinned mischievously, following her partner and brother-in-law out the door. "Watch Impact tonight and you'll find out." She pressed the end-call button and threw her phone onto the sofa, pulling her 'Rock Royalty' t-shirt over her head completely.

At the entrance ramp, she ran into TNA's owner, Jeff Jarret. He smiled politely at her. They'd always had a good relationship; her father and Jeff had worked together in the WWE, then called the WWF. And when April had worked there, she and Jeff had gotten along wonderfully. He'd started TNA in 2002 with his dad, and had automatically offered April a spot on the roster. She'd declined of course, but he said she was welcome any time she pleased. When she'd left WWE in 2006, when Xander was put in prison, she'd called Jeff and asked if the offer was still open. Wrestling, after all, was her drug, the one thing in the world she did better than anyone (holding a ten year Undefeated Streak was no easy feat). He'd said yes before she'd even finished speaking.

"Hey, Jeff," April said, giving him a quick squeeze. He smiled and pat her head as she pulled away. "I need a favor."

Jeff grinned. "Anything for you, my dear."

"I'm changing the ending of my segment. Trinity and Xander are supposed to argue then Trin leaves, right?" Jeff nodded, keeping up with what April was saying, considering the pace she was speaking in. "Let's have them get together. Trin needs a fuck-buddy anyway." With a giggle, April kissed Jeff on the cheek and took off after Shannon.

"I'll let Xander know!" Jeff called after her, heading off to find the younger Helmsley Brother.

Mid-way through her match, April was taken down with a rather hard clothesline from Hemme, one that sent a flash of pain up her back. Hemme was about to drop an elbow on her when Daffney pulled her out of the way. April flipped back to her feet as Kim came in to help Hemme. The ref backed away as April and Daffney, as a unit, hit a double corkscrew drop-kick, hitting both of their opponents square in the jaw before they dropped to the ground. April landed next to Shannon, which set them up for Shannon's favourite move, a Death-Valley Driver. She hit Kim with it and flung her out of the ring, the younger Knockout following soon after, which left April alone in the ring with Hemme. Christy stood up and held her jaw, facing away from April. The older Calaway grinned and dropped to a knee, waiting patiently for Christy to turn around. She did this, and April leaped, kicking Hemme in the stomach. Hemme doubled over, which gave April the opportunity she needed. She grabbed Christy's arms, wrenched them behind the red-head's back and pulled her up into a power-bomb position. She held her there for a second then dropped to her backside, slamming Christy down with her. Christy screamed, as she was supposed to, and held her back. April swung herself into the pinning position and got the three count.

Just as her music started, it switched to Riot by Three Days Grace, which signalled the arrival of Xander. Anna, who had been at ring-side, and Scott slipped into the ring to celebrate with April just as she spun around, her hair flipping with her. The dark look on her face suggested frustration, but her eyes gave away how she really felt; relieved. This would all be over soon, and April could return to the hotel with her boyfriend, to her babies, and curl up on the sofa in his arms, watching her favourite chick-flick, Notting Hill. In her mind's eye, she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat; Adam would be watching this at home, and it would drive the final stake into his coffin.

Xander slipped into the ring as a psychotic grin crossed April's face; of course, she was in character, but the next thing she was about to do was absolutely true, and Adam knew that, so did Xander. April never entered into a storyline that wasn't even remotely realistic or something she was going or went through. She'd feuded with Trish Stratus over Chris Jericho, which had sparked from her real life arguments with Trish. She'd then gone on to feud with her father, then Adam and Amy. She'd had minor feuds in between, but those, to her, were the ones that mattered most. Everything she did in the ring, whether she was in character or not, was true.

She grabbed a microphone from Jeremy Borash and giggled darkly into it.

"Hello, Xander," she said, her voice low, seductive and full of evil. He smiled and brought his own microphone to his lips.

"Well done on the victory, Trinity," he said, his voice laced with temptation. April bobbed her head and looked at him dreamily, her smile never leaving her face.

"Thank you."

"Have you thought about what we discussed a few weeks ago?" Xander's perfectly shaped eyebrow rose in curiosity and she bit her lip, cute smile gracing her lip.

The discussion he was referring to had occurred backstage, with the cameras filming it all. He'd ask her why she didn't want to go out with him. She'd said she hated the idea of men in general, but they could still be friends. His temple had started throbbing and he'd blown up, going as far as calling her Jaded before leaving the room. She'd stared at the floor before heading off in the other direction.

"Yes, I have." She walked up to him, that dark smile crossing her face again. Xander leaned down to look at her.

"And?"

April smiled, said 'catch!' into the mic before throwing it away and jumping into Xander's arms, kissing him hard on the lips. They kissed for the better half of thirty seconds before April pulled away and, in all seriousness, said, "I don't wanna be jaded."

Xander smiled and put his arms around her, hugging tightly. As had happened the first time he'd admitted he loved her, he looked her in the eyes and muttered those words that made her melt inside, and she could tell me meant them;

" _Te amo, mí ángel hermoso_."

She smiled and kissed him again, pouring all her passion, all of her undying love, through the channel that was her soul. He could feel it, she supposed, because the kiss intensified, even as they returned backstage.

As they made their way back to the hotel, Hailie, Jodi and Lara asleep in the back of Xander's car, April slipped her hand under his, just after he shifted gears. He turned his head to look at her and smiled, holding onto her fingers. Removing her seatbelt (after all, she trusted him not to crash his car again after what happened two years before hand), she leaned over and rested her cheek on the shoulder of her true love.

Her one true love.

Friday went by in a haze; Hailie, Lara and Jodi went off to play with Lainey, Anna's four-year old daughter while April went downstairs to finish setting up for Xander's birthday. Xander himself stayed upstairs, continuing to write music for the band he was the front man of; The Rejects.

Ashley came over to sit beside April as she sat on the stage, waiting for some more decorations to finish off the ballroom. The blonde grinned and parked herself right next to her best friend, handing her a sandwich. April nodded and took a bite. Ashley smiled back at her.

"So," she said, running her fingers through her hair. April looked at her. "You and Xander fixed everything, obviously."

April swallowed the bite she had in her mouth and smiled. "Yes indeed we did. I went back to our hotel room after dropping the girls off at Anna's room and he pulled me onto the balcony and kissed me. I felt fireworks."

Ashley giggled. "You felt fireworks last night too if the rumors are true."

April smirked. "Maybe. Let's just say I changed my misconception about men and decided to take a chance."

Ashley's eyebrow rose. "On Xander? Considering his past?"

April nudged her and got up from the stage. "Everyone has a past, Ash. You of all people should know that." Ashley nodded and her best friend continued. "Sometimes its easier to trust someone, despite their past, then scrutinize them for things they've done and can't change."

And that was the end of that conversation.

April returned to her hotel room that night and yawned. She was tired and sore all over. But her spirits instantly rose when she saw Xander sitting on the floor in the living area with a crayon in his hand, scribbling away with his daughter and her best friend. Upon hearing the door open and close, Xander's head shot up and he smiled, gesturing for her to come over. Lara jumped to her feet and showed her mother her drawing, just as April sat down. Five stick figure people, four of them wearing skirts of all different colors, were standing in the sunshine, with smiles on their faces. Under it said 'My family.' Under the two biggest was 'Mommy & Daddy' while the three smaller ones had 'Hailie,' 'Me,' and 'Jodi.' April smiled and pulled her daughter onto her knees, giving her Eskimo kisses.

As the impromptu family sat and made art, April couldn't help but keep looking at Xander. That buzz of electricity sparked between them and she couldn't help but smile. It was the sign of a deep and meaningful connection, one she couldn't deny. And when he caught her eyes, his deep-sea green ones staring into her emerald ones, she fell in love all over again.

Saturday night, the night of Xander's surprise party, came and a buzz of apprehension ran through April as she waited for the guest of honor to arrive. What if Xander hated her for this? Showing off their actual relationship to their family and friends? Adam had hated her, Chris certainly had. What if Xander did? She couldn't take that. Her heart had been through too much, enough heartache to put cracks in her psyche, already damaged by her mother's death. When she'd walked away from relationships in general, she'd taken her child and hidden herself away from the world, the only ones knowing where she was being her father, sister and brother. She didn't have time for anyone, let alone a new boyfriend.

 _~X~Flashback- June 2005, Maple Falls, Florida~X~_

 _The sound of running water could be heard around the two bedroom house in Maple Falls, echoing through the empty hallways. April Calaway, who lived at the home with her daughter, splashed water across her wrists to hide the bloody mess she'd made. Her wrists, much like her stomach and her inner-thighs, were dotted and criss-crossed by thin scars, some fresh, some not. Blood washed down the drain like red ink and tears slipped from April's eyes like droplets of rain. Her life was a mess; she felt like she couldn't do anything right. Her father was disappointed in her, her brother wasn't speaking to her, and Anna... Geez, Anna was furious. She'd pleaded, left right and center, that April had brought the heartbreak on herself by the way she'd behaved while married to Adam._

 _April looked into her reflection, a memory of something her mother used to say floating into her head; 'The mirror shows the truth, nothing more and nothing less.' If that was true, then the Fallen Angel truly was fallen. She'd fallen from heaven and landed ass first in front of Satan himself, who'd dragged her through the very bowels of hell before spitting her back out. She was a physical and emotional wreck._

 _Another round of tears slipped from her eyes and she rinsed them away with water. She didn't want Lara to wake up and see her cry, but more importantly she didn't want to see herself cry. She was stronger then this, she had to be. Who else could go through everything she had and still be standing?_

 _Staring into her own eyes, the reflected pools of green, she said to herself, 'What happened to Miss Unafraid?'_

 _No answer came to her, so she sniffed, turned off the water and went to bed with bandages wrapped around her arms. Let her demons rest for the night, to eat away at her soul again tomorrow._

 _~X~End Flashback~X~_

April smiled to herself. That was a memory long since dead, a memory she'd locked away in her subconscious mind forever. That was the old April, the one who had no one to rely on. Now, she'd fixed every broken relationship with her father, her siblings, and even Chris. She was a new April; The Phoenix that had arisen from the ashes of a fallen Angel.

Absentmindedly, a finger curled within her already-curled ebony locks and she smiled, remembering the way Xander used to treat her, and still did. She was a Goddess, his Goddess and he worshipped the ground she walked on. True, relationships were double-sided, but April and Xander were happy with the way they were. They weren't a normal couple, and that was how they liked it. Their love was a beautiful triumph of the human race versus hell, and everyone knew it. Even they did. She'd seen couples and her father's relationships and knew she and Xander were meant to be.

The white dress she was wearing was the same dress she'd worn on the masquerade ball that Stephanie and Vince McMahon had thrown in late 2005 to raise money for Americares, and she and Xander had shared their first dance that night. If she was lucky, he'd be wearing the same prince costume he'd worn then too. And tonight would be perfect bliss.

It was almost nine when Xander finally made his entrance. The entire ballroom of the Caesar's Palace hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada had been decked out in full balloons, streamers, blacklight-art on the walls and a big disco ball. The room looked perfect, and so did he. He pushed his way through the double doors and stopped half-way through when everyone yelled 'Surprise!' His eyes widened into shock as he walked over to the stage, where April was waiting for him.

Panic crossed her face as she waited for her honey to step onto the stage. He smiled up at her and her heart welled with joy. He was happy, truly happy. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as he stepped up beside her, taking the glass of champagne she offered.

"You did all this for me?" he whispered, clinking his glass with hers.

"Of course! Do you know any other broody rockstars I just happen to be in love with?" she said with a smug smirk. She was proud of herself. It took so little for so big a feeling these days, but it made her feel practically flying inside.

Xander grinned back at her. "Bret Michaels, Matt Tuck, Axl Rose…" Xander stopped then laughed as April hit him.

"Very funny Mister Know-It-All," she cooed, swatting him on the shoulder. He smiled.

"I love you, Miss Independent," he whispered, nudging his nose against hers as he pulled her close, his hands gently tracing her hips. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you too. And Happy Birthday."

Xander smiled and kissed her, long and sweet, sending every single nerve ending in her body into the stratosphere.

~X~

April lay curled up on the sofa of their hotel room, staring at the fire as it crackled and burned in the fireplace. She was sitting in her beloved's basketball jersey and her pajama pants, but she'd never felt more beautiful. As she stared at the fire, the light caught the diamond ring on her finger and she looked at it. It was twinkling up at her, a beautiful beacon of the love she and Xander shared. The real kind of love. The love that lasted forever. And the ring symbolized that bond. And soon, she didn't know when, the silver ring would be joined by another silver ring; a wedding band. She smiled. Mrs. Xander Levesque. It definitely had a ring to it.

April let out a content sigh as she felt the fire's heat against her. Today had been a wonderful day. She'd planned Xander's party for months, and it had gone off without a hitch. And Xander had proposed. That's all she could ever have asked for.

Xander flopped down into the seat beside April with a beer in his hand. He was wearing nothing but his sweatpants, and April could smell his body-wash. He smelled wonderful, so she curled into him and relished that beautiful smell.

"You right there?" Xander asked quietly, curling his free arm around April's shoulders. She mewed happily, tucking her feet beneath her.

"I'm so happy right now," she said, looking up at him. He looked at her and winked, taking a sip of his beer.

"I'm glad I make you happy." He kissed the top of her head and stared into the fire, his fingers drawing gentle circles on her exposed arm.

It was almost two in the morning when April and Xander curled into bed. Xander climbed in first and relaxed on his back while April curled into his side, her arm draping over him and gently drawing hearts on his pecks. Xander smiled.

"A guy could get used to this," he whispered, as not to wake the sleeping girls in the rooms beside them. April grinned and gently pinched him.

"Get used to what?"

Xander smirked and reached up to gently stroke his fiancé's hair. "This." He kissed her head and pulled her close. April smiled; she knew exactly what he meant. She cuddled close to him.

"Good-bye old you," April whispered to herself. Xander looked down at her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, mock-appal on his face.

April looked up at him and grinned. "Nothing, my love."

Xander grinned and kissed her nose, closing his perfect eyes and drifting off to sleep.

April hummed to herself and continued cuddling into Xander before drifting off to the land of nod.

This love was definitely true.


	3. Better Than I Know Myself

**Better Than I Know Myself**

Summary: Three-shot Part Three: Looking back, Xander and April realise they're simply meant to be. Xapril.

 **A.N:** Hola Amigas & Amigos! This is ficlet Numero Trés and the last part of the Xapril Trilogy, Better Than I Know Myself by Adam Lambert, from his album 'Trespassing'. Go listen to that shit. Finally its over! Although, A Thousand Years, the wedding fic I wrote, will be posted soon! Damn plot-bunnies. Grr.

 **A.N.2:** Bonus points to whoever can guess the Big Four PPVs WWE releases every year. Obviously one of them is Wrestlemania, but what are the other three?

 **A.N.3:** April 'Trinity Delirium' Calaway-Levesque and Anna 'Dahlia Delirium' Calaway-Levy belong to moi! Scott 'Raven' Levy belongs to himself and Xander Levesque/Helmsley co-belongs to XoX-ShAdAy-XoX and myself, EnternalxInsanity. Credit where its blah blah blah. Enjoy! X ExI

 _ **January 2013**_

Bringing his left fist into the bag in front of him, Xander Levesque winced as pain shot through his knuckles. He pulled back and shook his hand, seeing a purplish bruise starting to appear where he'd hit it. He muttered profanities to himself before turning and leaning against the wall. He was standing in the basement of Calaway Manor, the house April grew up in. It was his Anniversary present to her last year. All around him were paintings of his beloved April, some abstract some not, all beautiful.

He stared at one in particular. April, her hair tied in a bun, was standing next to a grave, a single tear in her eye. On the grave it said 'For Those Who Weep, The Devil Shall Smile.' As he stared, he felt a lump build in his throat. By God had he acted like a bastard to her; when he'd found out in 2009 that April was pregnant with Piper he'd completely flipped his noodle, going as far as to accuse her of cheating. It hadn't been entirely his fault though; outside influences had driven him even madder than he was at the time. He'd pushed her away, given her the silent treatment whenever she spoke to him and given her icy stares when he saw her.

But in his heart he knew he wouldn't be without her for long.

Even as the Ice Queen April was, Xander would never refuse her. He'd come crawling back on bended knee, begging for her forgiveness. And no matter how severe his fuck up had been, she'd forgiven him, taken him back into her loving arms.

He'd broken his wedding vows once, and it had almost killed him. His 'psycho side' had taken over, only for a split second, and had cut deep into April's beautiful face. His anger and rage had gotten the better of him, and he'd taken it out on the one person in his life that cared about him more than themselves. He hadn't meant to, but for a brief and torturous moment he'd lost control, and almost lost it all.

Xander hadn't always been this way. He was, for the most part, crazy and fun. He'd tried not to be angry and depressed all the time. Sometimes he couldn't help it, so he retreated into the basement. It was his point of closure, the one place he could always go to find solitude.

Once, Xander had been lost and out of control, not knowing what he was doing and not caring who he stepped on to get his revenge. But now those days were over and he was free from the chains that held him down. And it was all because of April.

He'd vowed, the day he asked her to be his wife, that he'd always love her and never leave her. But he'd fucked up then too. When he'd hurt her, he'd ran, fearing the monster he'd become. He'd hurt the one person he loved equally as much as he loved his daughter. That was not something he ever wanted to do ever again, so he ran, hiding away from the world. But he'd returned, her willing slave and loyal servant.

Living with him had to have been the hardest thing for April, Hailie, Lara, Jodi, Piper and Alex to do because he was nothing but a hopeless wreck. But he'd never leave; he loved them too much.

Xander sighed and sat down on one of the couches, throwing his head back. Upstairs were his girls and his son, doing whatever it was they did on a Saturday afternoon. Hailie was probably on the phone to her friends or her boyfriend, Lara and Jodi were probably drawing or singing and Piper was probably playing blocks with Alex. Xander knew for a fact that April was out in the spa; enjoying the summer sunshine and the time that working from home gave her. _  
_

Without his Angel, Xander would simply cease to exist. She had rescued him from the demons that had taken him prisoner and driven him insane. He was back and better than he had ever been. Life was starting to go his way, for once, and if he ever slipped to the edge again, she'd wrench him back. If he had wanted to leave, he couldn't have; he was chained to her side, which is where he felt the safest. She knew him better than he knew himself.

Xander's attention drew to the staircase where Hailie stepped down, holding her two year old brother in her arms. Sunlight streamed through the window and landed on Hailie's face. He grinned when he looked at her. She was blonde, fair-skinned and slim like her real father, but tall and strong like her mother. Her green eyes shone when she spotted him.

"Hey Dad," she said, brushing a lock of her baby-brother's blond hair from his eyes. Alex grinned and whispered his thanks. Xander smiled and saluted in return. "It's two o'clock; you have to go to the studio now."

"Thanks, Stormageddon," he said with a grin, referencing her favorite TV show, Doctor Who. He pulled off his gloves as Hailie returned upstairs with Alex. He sighed as he removed his sweat-stained wife-beater and put on a plain-black t-shirt.

Back to the world of being the world's most famous Rockstar.

With arms curled beneath her jaw, April Calaway-Levesue sat rested against the side of the spa-bath, eyes closed, feeling the golden sun that hung over Los Angeles all year round beating down on her skin. Her tattoos glowed dark against her tan and the light breeze that blew flicked her ebony locks back and forth across her shoulder. She'd been out here for a few hours, reading over the script for the next few up-coming RAW shows. As an executive producer, as well as the on-screen General Manager of RAW, her job was to maintain the quality of the content each week. But with her mind becoming more and more scattered, her job became more and more difficult. So she'd put the script down and decided to relax a little.

But even that didn't help.

Her mind had been cast into the pit, again; her depression, which had haunted her for years, had come back rearing its ugly head. But she'd put on a brave face, to prove to her family she was strong. But she really wasn't. She was weak, as weak as she'd been as a child. When she'd lost her mother. Her life had been one big ball of hell. As far as she was concerned, she was truly alone in this world, even with her family and friends around her. She was completely alone.

Well, she'd thought that originally. Chris Irvine, the cheating sunova bitch that he was, had planted the idea. Then Adam had reinforced that. But then she'd met Xander. He had been a bright, shiny, beacon of hope in her world of demons, darkness and fear. He'd arrived right when she'd needed him. And for that she was grateful. Though Xander had given her the nickname, he was her Angel.

She had been home a couple of days now, and she'd easily slipped back into the home-routine; get the girls ready for school, make sure the animals were fed, then cool down for a few hours, then to the gym, then to the club, and finally back home into the loving arms of her man. It seemed, however, that Xander's mind had been elsewhere. She could tell when her husband was acting funky; she knew him back to front, top to bottom, inside and out. She supposed his mind was still lingering on the fire two years previously. It had nearly killed her, and their girls, plus Alex, who had only been conceived a few weeks before hand. It seemed he was lost in that memory because it kept him up at night.

She opened her eyes to the sound of the back door opening. A smile crept across her lips as her man stepped outside, wearing his cargo pants and a plain-black hoody. His hair, normally spiked up all over his head like a hedgehog, was flattened today, covered in his Rejected snapback, turned slightly to the left. He looked like an utter dork, but he was her dork. He stepped over to her, hands stuffed in his pockets, smile appearing on his face. She smiled back at him and sat up straighter, arching her neck to she could look him in the eye. She'd get lost in those eyes if she lingered too long. But then, what was the harm in that? He'd find her and bring her home, just like always.

"Isn't it a bit too warm to be wearing a hoody and pants, my Cobra?" she asked, her voice soft. He grinned as he sat down beside her, legs crossed.

"Maybe, but I'm not wearing anything underneath said hoody," he replied with a wink. She giggled softly and reached up to brush a stray lock of his hair behind his ear. He reached up and grabbed her hand, his fingers sending shockwaves through her.

"And what about your cargo pants?" she asked, leaning up to get close to him, feeling his fingers release her hand. She was about an inch away from him now, and she could feel the heat radiating off him. He leaned in closer, brushing his nose against hers.

"You'll find out when I get home."

April blinked. She had originally thought that he was staying home today, to spend time with his kids and his wife. He'd only just arrived home from the Soundwave Festival in Australia. He'd been gone for just over a month, and now he had to go again?

"Where are you going?" She asked, slipping back down into the water. His face fell; she could tell that he was about to be gone for hours on end, and she'd probably be asleep by the time he got home.

"I'm heading to the studio to work on the next album..."

April turned away from him. Typical. He'd been home for two days and now he was back working again. She didn't know how long she'd have off as the Royal Rumble was coming up soon and WWE was very much go-go-go around the time of any PPV, especially one of the Big Four.

"Have fun," she said grumpily, deciding to go for a swim. She exited the spa and climbed into the pool, letting the freezing cold water consume her as she ducked under. She could see Xander still sitting on the edge. He he had a confused expression on his face, which switched to angry for a moment before he got up and left, obviously not willing to argue.

April sat on the bottom of the pool, holding her breath as she seethed. It wasn't fair.

Maybe she'd been too hard on him. She pushed herself to the surface and slicked her hair back out of her eyes. Maybe, in a moment she'd never had before, she had been a little... selfish. That would never do; she was not a selfish person. She put her family, her friends, even her fur-babies before her. She came last.

She head Xander's car pull out of the garage and knew she couldn't apologize to him now. He'd be too pissed off to answer his phone. And now her brain was in panic-mode. Damnit.

She swam over to the edge and picked up her phone, speed dialing her baby-sister in Miami, Anna.

After the third ring, the line was picked up by Ashton, Anna and Scott's six year old daughter.

"Hiya, Auntie April!" came her high-pitched voice. April smiled.

"Hey, Ashy-Washy, is Momma around honey?" she asked, hearing a slight scuffle on Ashton's end.

"I'll go get her."

April smiled as the phone went silent for a second. Then came the tired yet chirpy voice of her sister, voice-of-reason surpreme, Anna Calaway-Levy.

"Hello?"

"Don't exit my game!" Ashton yelled from somewhere near Anna.

"I won't, go play for a minute while I talk to April." There was a slight pause before Anna gave her attention back to her phone. "What's up?'

"On a scale of one to ten, how much of an idiot am I?" April asked, running her fingers through her hair.

Anna laughed. "Depends on the day, why?"

"I think Xander and I just had a fight but I can't be sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like, two days ago he got home from another successful tour as the world's biggest rockstar, and now he's gone again to write the next album."

There was a pause before Anna responded. It felt like a life-time.

"How is that a problem, Angel? You and Xander both lead extremely busy lives."

"That's true, I suppose..."

"Both of you are go-go-go and you never even once try and slow town." April laughed. That was true; since she'd started working full time, she'd never bothered to slow down and take some time out to smell the roses, as the saying went. She was always busy; when she was awake she was helping her kids, editing scripts, running a club or at the gym. Sometimes a combination of them all.

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts about it. It's never been a problem before now."

"I know, but maybe I just wanted to spend time with my husband, ya know?"

Anna sighed. "What have you been doing for the last few hours? Have you been with him at all?"

April blinked. Damnit; the Twin-Thing was happening again. Anna always knew when April was thinking stupid thoughts. Every damn time. It got annoying sometimes, because even at 3AM, Anna would call just to check if she was okay.

"I've been in the pool, he's been in the basement." April said this almost reluctantly. But she would never hide anything from Anna, because she knew in her heart she couldn't. They'd shared a womb, a childhood and a dorm-room in college. They could never hide anything from the other, and that's just how it went.

"See? You've been apart all day, and now you're complaining about not spending time with him?" Anna said, stifling a yawn. She was obviously tired, probably from chasing her two girls around all day. She let out an exasperated sigh. "Go and talk to him. Tell him you were being selfish- a rare thing but it happens to the best of us- and apologize. Maybe go for gold in a supply closet."

April had to snort back laughter. "Anna!"

Anna laughed. "I'm sorry but it's true. You join the mile-high club every time you're on a plane."

"Is it still joining if you've done it more than once?" April said, making Anna giggle even more. She grinned.

"Go, before I fly up there and smack you."

"K. See you at Smackdown."

"Always, Angel. Bye." And she hung up without even waiting for April to respond. She grinned and put her phone down, still staring at her background. It was a photo of her and Xander, on a beach in Fiji. The sun had been shining and they'd decided to be beach-babes and sunbath for most of the day. This was before they'd gotten married, before the fire that had nearly killed her scarred her face, before Xander's age started to show. Before the worries of the world had caught up with them. Now they ran extraordinarily busy lives and barely had time for each other, but when they had their moments, even those precious, dozy moments before they fell asleep, they were bliss.

Sliding out of the pool using the upper body strength she'd gained after years of gym-time, she picked up her phone, her sunglasses and her sarong, heading inside to get changed into something that would blow Xander's mind.

Xander was sitting in the office chair that was behind the soundboard when Scott walked in. He had been in L.A for a few days, helping Cassie and Gun move into their new house. Now, as Xander's best friend, he was needed for his advise.

"What did you do this time?" Scott asked, leaning against the soundboard. Xander sighed and ran a set of fingers through his hair. Obviously he'd done something to piss April off; he just didn't know what. April wasn't easily agitated, so what had got her mad? They'd been playing and having fun, and then he'd mentioned work and...

"I get the feeling she thinks I've been working too hard," he said, spinning to look at his best friend. "You know her really well, Scott... is she the type of person to get mad over stupid little things?"

Scott's eyebrow rose as he smirked, rolling his eyes. "No, she's not. And you know her better than I do."

Xander smirked, letting his cockiness show through. "Intimately better than you."

Scott slapped him on the shoulder and smirked. "Maybe you guys just need to spend some time together? Ya know, take her on a date?"

Xander scowled. "I don't see that working, especially with me working so damn hard on trying to provide for my family."

Scott bit his lip to hide his laughter but after Xander continued to stare as if he'd said nothing stupid, he burst into a laughing fit of epic proportions. This caused Stacy and Mitch, two of Xander's five bandmates, to poke their heads through the window. Scott was now down on his knees, holding his sides as he took in gulps of air.

Xander stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"What are you laughing at, Scott?"

Scott took in one final gulp of precious oxygen before he wiped tears from his eyes and looked at his best friend. Stacy and Mitch left the room, having figured out where the sound was coming from.

"You make at least three million with every album release, whether it be your band stuff or your solo stuff, with every TV appearance it's at least thirty grand and don't even get me started on your movie deals," Scott said, hoisting himself up so he was standing. Xander tilted his head slightly. "You make more money than any living person I know, and you're still working hard to make your family happy? You could retire now and you'd still be able to send your kids to the best and most expensive schools in the country, even while buying a fucking Maserati."

It was at this point that Scout, the drummer of the Rejects, waltzed into the room, twirling her custom drum sticks.

"I agree with Scotty, Xan," she said, flopping down onto the floor beside the lead singer. He looked down at her with a semi-smile. "You have been with us every step of the writing process for every single album. Whether I need help with a drum set, Michael needs help with the bass-line or Jared needs help mixing it all together, you've always had input. It's as much your album as it is ours. You spend so much time doing those things though that your family, whether it be April and your kids or your brother and his kids, hardly ever see you."

Xander hated to admit it but they were right; he had enough money to retire at the ripe-old age of thirty-six and have himself and his family live comfortably forever. And he didn't spend enough time at home. Why did he have to try so hard?

Maybe it's because his childhood had been so abysmal that he didn't want his children to go through it. He'd been on the streets at eight, in the foster care system by nine and on his own by sixteen. He never wanted that life for his kids, which would definitely explain why he worked so hard. But with his income alone he could send his kids to the best schools and give them anything they could ever want. With April's income as well they were definitely upper-class members of the Los Angeles Social Hierarchy.

"I mean honestly Xan," Scott said, causing his best friend to look at him. He grinned. "Sometimes you get kind of obnoxious about how much money you make."

Scout bobbed her head from her seat next to him. "Somewhere under that ego and big-headedness of yours is your heart. And right now I would think it's yearning for April's touch. But your mad money dash is in the way."

Xander scowled, leaning back in his seat. Scout giggled a little and stood up, grabbing Scott by the arm, dragging him from the room. "Let Xander think for a bit. I get the feeling things are gonna work themselves out if we let them."

And with that Xander was alone to ponder.

April stood at the doors of Rejected Records, Xander's recording company that he'd worked most of his career for, and took a deep breath. She'd spent hours in the master bedroom of Calaway Manor doing her hair and make-up perfect. Her dress was an easy pick- the dress she'd been wearing the night they'd first made sweet, passionate love to each other. It was a deep red halter-neck dress that gripped her curves perfectly, hanging down to her mid-thighs. Strappy black stilettos adorned her feet and her hair was in a Spanish curl. Smokey eye-shadow, a little bit of eyeliner and deep red lip-stick finished off the 'I'm-Sorry-Let's-Fuck' look.

She looked down at her left ring finger. In the glowing sunset of Los Angeles the rings on her fingers sparkled. To her, they represented a moment in life she'd never forget; the day she'd married the one man in her life who would never leave her side. Despite everything they'd been through, from adultery to baroness, somehow they'd made it. And their love would stand the test of time. It always had.

April took in a deep breath and marched into the building, heading straight for reception. Tiffany, the blonde receptionist that, surprisingly, hadn't been hired by Xander for her looks, looked up as she entered the foyer.

"Hello, Mrs Levesque. You look beautiful this evening," she said with a smile. April returned it and tilted her head slightly.

"Thanks, Tiff. Is my husband around by any chance?"

Tiffany nodded, that smile still in place. "He's upstairs with Scout and Mitch working on the new album. Do you want me to buzz you up or-"

April shook her head. "Thanks but that won't be necessary. I don't want Xan to know I'm coming."

Tiffany grinned and winked, pointing to the elevator as she pushed the button on the desk to call it. April smiled and walked to it, waving to Tiffany as the clip-clopping of her heels echoed around the near-empty foyer.

As the elevator doors slipped closed in front of her, April had a little bit of time to think.

She'd been very selfish, getting angry about Xander working. They both worked hard. She was awake for an average of nineteen hours a day, sometimes more if her schedule didn't allow her to rest. So for those brief few hours she was granted a reprieve from her demanding life, she'd expected Xander to be free. He had a hard work schedule too, but that didn't mean their down-time was the same. She'd been incredibly selfish and should have told him that it was fine and she'd see him when he got home. But no, she had to be self-serving for the first time in a long time. That just didn't sit right with her, so here she was; apologizing.

She smirked as the door opened and she stepped into the hallway that the recording booth was located in. Yeah, apologizing. This was definitely going to be an apology he'd never forget.

She stepped down the hallway as quietly as she could, spying Stacy Laurer and Mitch Glass leaning against the wall. Mitch had his guitar in his hands and Stacy had a pair of drumsticks, which she was tapping against the wall rhythmically. The beat they had going was perfect, and she figured it was for a song for the album so she decided against interrupting them.

Stacy spotted her standing there and smiled, continuing to hit the sticks against the wall.

"Nice dress," she said with a grin. April smiled. "He's in the studio." She winked and April stepped between them and into the little room that sat adjacent to the sound booth. Jared, the music director and mixer sat behind the soundboard, a pair of headphones on as he listened intently to what was coming from the booth.

Xander was in the booth, singing his heart out.

" _Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now  
But I really need you near me to  
Keep my mind off the edge."_

Xander took a deep breath and continued singing, preparing his voice for another hard song to sing. This would keep his mind off the fight with April. He'd go home and apologize to her when he got home. Then they'd have the best sex they'd ever had and fall asleep in each others arms. It's just how it went. True it sounded like a rut, but it wasn't. It was routine. He hated routine normally, but being around April and their kids... it made him wish he'd gotten married and settled down sooner. It was now something he craved, like a drunk craves the bottom of a bottle and an addict craves that next allusive fix. Normalcy. A word he hadn't known for a long time. He'd craved the extreme and unique over the mundane and predictable. But not now.

He was about to start singing again when a female voice joined him, which was odd because this was meant to be a solo piece.

" _Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now  
But I really need you near me to  
Keep my mind off the edge._

 _If I wanted to leave, I would have left by now,  
But you're the only one that knows me,  
Better Than I Know Myself."_

Xander turned to spot his wife entering the room, looking more beautiful than the day they'd met. Even without all the flash and flair that came with being a Calaway, she was beautiful to him. Scars and all. He smiled, hearing the music fade out in the headphones. He pulled them off and pulled his wife into his arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. She giggled and the sound was like wedding bells and fireworks and all the good things that he loved wrapped into one.

April grinned as her feet touched the ground again, her arms curling around her husbands neck.

"What's this?" he said, tucking a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. Her head turned, smiling, as she kissed the palm of his hand. Her emerald green eyes stared up at him, glossed over with so much love and affection it almost made her burst.

"I'm apologizing."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're... apologizing?"

That was weird, coming from her. It was normally him who did the apologizing. April, and by extension her sisters, didn't apologize for anything, ever. Everything she ever did was calculated and deliberate. This was a first.

"Yes. I realized today, after a long discussion with Bunny-Boo, that I wasn't giving you enough credit."

Xander blinked at her.

"Credit for...?"

April smiled and stroked his face. "You do so much to make the world we live in as amazing as it can be. Whether its by rocking music festivals all over the world to raise money for different causes, or playing outside with our fur babies and our actual babies. Or just playing your guitar and singing to me. I can't have you all to myself all the time. I was selfish, and I was wrong."

Xander's eyebrow cocked further as a smirk crossed his lips. "Really? You want to apologize for being selfish?" He let out a hearty laugh. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Babe, you of all people are entitled to be selfish every now and then. There's no one at that stupid company that works harder than you; you're a trainer for the NXT Divas and the RAW Divas, you're an executive VP, you practically run the Divas division on your own. And you own a five star restaurant, one of the hottest nightclubs in all of Los Angeles and you have a stellar music career. I don't know anyone who works harder than you to make everyone but yourself happy. I swear, my baby, it will be your downfall one day."

She smirked, that cheeky smirk that made him incredibly cocky. "Not today it won't be."

"See? You're a workaholic and you don't even know it half the time, and the other half of the time you don't care!"

"Oh yeah?" She was testing him now. "And what does that make you? You spend more time here than you do with me!"

"That makes me a rock-star of the highest caliber with literally no time to do anything but work!"

The almost-screaming match was interrupted by Scott slamming his hand against the window. It was a three-inch glass plate so it wouldn't break, but the sound it made made the bickering couple jump and stare.

"Okay, you two; enough. Back to your corners."

Xander sat down in one of the stools in the booth while April leaned against the wall. Scott smirked at the both of them; he'd known them both long enough to know when they were about to start throwing punches, both metaphorical and literal. He looked between them.

"Okay, what you both need to understand is the fact that you both lead chaotic lives and barely have a spare moment to yourselves." April was about to open her mouth to argue her point, he could tell, but he held up a hand to stop her. "Let me finish. _Both_ of you are self absorbed control freaks; it's your way or the highway. So for a change, you're gonna do it my way."

April and Xander both blinked at him, confusion taking over their faces. Scott smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Xander, you first. Apologize for being a massive douche."

Xander's eyebrow cocked as he stared at his best friend. Scott stared him right back. So the black-haired rockstar turned back to his wife.

"I'm sorry. And not for being a massive douche. I apologize for being stupid and not realizing that my family needs me too, not just my work. This is all I've ever dreamed of doing, since before I even met you. I wanted to be the greatest rockstar the world has ever known, taking the world by storm one sold-out arena at a time." April stared intently into her husband's eyes. "Then I met you, and my tiny, little, one-man rocket ship was shot into orbit. My world did a complete one-eighty. I've forgotten how to balance work and play. And for that I'm sorry."

April smiled, a soft smile that made the corners of her eyes crinkle.

"Okay, April," Scott said, gesturing to her. "You're turn."

April took a deep breath before starting. "I'm not very good at admitting when I'm wrong. In fact, I'm so bad at it I don't even admit it half the time. Ever since I was seventeen, my life has literally been go-go-go. I haven't stopped, even when it made me sick. Four kids, a record deal, twenty-million jobs and a huge family haven't helped either. But I admit, I haven't taken the time off when I've gotten it because I feel like if I slow down and stop, I won't start again. And for the longest time, it scared me. Then all of a sudden, a shining star comes into my life that is so care-free that it starts to rub off on me a little. You've changed me, babe, and maybe for the better. I know how to act crazy now, I know how to misbehave. I didn't know how to do that for a long time. And for that I thank you. But at the same time, I'm sorry if my hardass-ness has driven you crazy."

Xander smiled at her and pulled her into his arms, holding her as close as he could without breaking her. He looked at Scott who winked at him.

"Now, doesn't that feel better?" said the grunge superstar, grinning at two of his closest friends. They both looked up at him and smiled.

"Much better," they said together, still holding each-other.

Scott smiled as he left the room. He'd pushed them in the right direction, now it was their turn to fix the problem they'd had. They'd been through so much together, Scott had seen majority of it. But they were a match made in heaven, literally. Angel and Cobra. April and Xander. Together for eternity, whether they liked it or not.

Because they knew each-other better than they knew themselves.


End file.
